Uploaded March 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This is an at length walk through of designing the Motor Vertex of the Mini-Kossel 3d Printer. It is targeted at the FreeCAD beginner. If you can follow through this whole tutorial you should be pretty comfortable with sketching and constraints.
I always use the FreeCAD daily build, so you may find some differences in your version. If you can't replicate it exactly there is always more than one way to get it done in FreeCAD.
I left out how to emboss text and the Hex wrench access, to keep it under an hour. Please leave comments on what you like and don't like. I enjoy making these but I want them to be better and relevant.
Here is my FreeCAD Version Information:
OS: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa
Word size of OS: 32-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 32-bit
Version: 0.17.10452 (Git)
Build type: None
Branch: master
Hash: 0196d50c487a6937bbcca5aeb13df32a652907db
Python version: 2.7.6
Qt version: 4.8.6
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.1.0
I have created a Table of Contents with Time Indicators
Introduction
0:00 Intro
2:20 FreeCAD Version and Toolbar Notes
2:55 Navigation - New Feature
CHAPTER 1 - Main Body of the Motor Vertex
4:00 Main Sketch
5:05 Outline of Main Shape
6:53 Length Constraints
9:50 Equality Constraints
10:12 Perpendicular Constraints
10:40 Symetry Constraints
11:25 Angular Constraints
12:16 Outer Curve
13:59 Finding the missing constraint & Fully Constraining the sketch
14:54 Padding the Main Sketch
CHAPTER 2 - Pocket for the Vertical 2020 Extrusion
15:26 Sketch and Pocket for the Vertical Extrusion
16:20 Starting the Sketch
18:07 Length Constraints for 2020 Vertical
19:18 Equality Constraints for 2020 Vertical
20:30 Equality Constraints for 2020 Vertical and Front Offset
21:38 Pocket the 2020 Vertical
CHAPTER 3 - Mounting Holes and Rails for the Horizontal 2020 Extrusions
22:07 Position Rails and Mounting Holes for Horizontal 2020 Extrusion
23:10 Sketching the Rails
26:50 Mirroring the Rails
27:05 Sketching the Mounting Holes
28:00 Use Sketcher Rectagular Array to Duplicate Holes
CHAPTER 4 - Motor Mount
31:37 Motor Mount - Uses Sketcher Rectangular Array
34:51 Pocket Motor Mount Holes
CHAPTER 5 - Vertical Mounting Holes
35:47 Mounting Holes for Vertical 2020 Extrusion
CHAPTER 6 - Frame Nut Access Holes
38:44 Mounting Nut Access Cut-out
41:05 Sketch for Sweep Path
43:09 Sweeping the Nut Access with Subtractive Sweep
44:51 Mirroring Both Nut Access Sweeps
CHAPTER 7 - Wire Access Holes
45:43 Wire Routing Cutout - Sketch for Sweeping
49:29 Sweep Path - Using B-Spline
53:05 Mirror Wire Routing Cutout
NOTE :
At 8:39 I mistakenly length constrain the inner vertexes of the fillet, I should've picked the outer vertex(s), it is corrected later in the video. The length should be 28.5. The position of the constraint can be seen earlier, beginning at 2:09.
This is an at length walk through of designing the Motor Vertex of the Mini-Kossel 3d Printer. It is targeted at the FreeCAD beginner. If you can follow through this whole tutorial you should be pretty comfortable with sketching and constraints.
I always use the FreeCAD daily build, so you may find some differences in your version. If you can't replicate it exactly there is always more than one way to get it done in FreeCAD.
I left out how to emboss text and the Hex wrench access, to keep it under an hour. Please leave comments on what you like and don't like. I enjoy making these but I want them to be better and relevant.
Here is my FreeCAD Version Information:
OS: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa
Word size of OS: 32-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 32-bit
Version: 0.17.10452 (Git)
Build type: None
Branch: master
Hash: 0196d50c487a6937bbcca5aeb13df32a652907db
Python version: 2.7.6
Qt version: 4.8.6
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 7.1.0
I have created a Table of Contents with Time Indicators
Introduction
0:00 Intro
2:20 FreeCAD Version and Toolbar Notes
2:55 Navigation - New Feature
CHAPTER 1 - Main Body of the Motor Vertex
4:00 Main Sketch
5:05 Outline of Main Shape
6:53 Length Constraints
9:50 Equality Constraints
10:12 Perpendicular Constraints
10:40 Symetry Constraints
11:25 Angular Constraints
12:16 Outer Curve
13:59 Finding the missing constraint & Fully Constraining the sketch
14:54 Padding the Main Sketch
CHAPTER 2 - Pocket for the Vertical 2020 Extrusion
15:26 Sketch and Pocket for the Vertical Extrusion
16:20 Starting the Sketch
18:07 Length Constraints for 2020 Vertical
19:18 Equality Constraints for 2020 Vertical
20:30 Equality Constraints for 2020 Vertical and Front Offset
21:38 Pocket the 2020 Vertical
CHAPTER 3 - Mounting Holes and Rails for the Horizontal 2020 Extrusions
22:07 Position Rails and Mounting Holes for Horizontal 2020 Extrusion
23:10 Sketching the Rails
26:50 Mirroring the Rails
27:05 Sketching the Mounting Holes
28:00 Use Sketcher Rectagular Array to Duplicate Holes
CHAPTER 4 - Motor Mount
31:37 Motor Mount - Uses Sketcher Rectangular Array
34:51 Pocket Motor Mount Holes
CHAPTER 5 - Vertical Mounting Holes
35:47 Mounting Holes for Vertical 2020 Extrusion
CHAPTER 6 - Frame Nut Access Holes
38:44 Mounting Nut Access Cut-out
41:05 Sketch for Sweep Path
43:09 Sweeping the Nut Access with Subtractive Sweep
44:51 Mirroring Both Nut Access Sweeps
CHAPTER 7 - Wire Access Holes
45:43 Wire Routing Cutout - Sketch for Sweeping
49:29 Sweep Path - Using B-Spline
53:05 Mirror Wire Routing Cutout
NOTE :
At 8:39 I mistakenly length constrain the inner vertexes of the fillet, I should've picked the outer vertex(s), it is corrected later in the video. The length should be 28.5. The position of the constraint can be seen earlier, beginning at 2:09.
